1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to a roller shade and, more particularly, to a compressible pocket for a cargo shade attachment adapted for use in a motor vehicle in conjunction with a cargo shade used to obstruct the view into an interior compartment area of the vehicle.
2. Discussion
In many types of motor vehicles, particularly hatchbacks, sport utility vehicles, and minivans, a rear compartment or cargo area is provided for storing cargo or personal items. Previously, articles in the cargo area could be easily viewed from the exterior of the vehicle. To discourage possible theft of these items from the vehicle, motor vehicle manufacturers often provide a retractable cargo shade or panel that can be extended to cover the cargo area and prevent people outside of the vehicle from readily viewing any stored articles.
Typically, cargo shades include a roller tube and a flexible fabric panel, which is wrapped onto the roller tube, and is mounted to a support structure in the vehicle. The roller tube is rotationally biased so that the shade can be extended to cover the compartment area and retracted onto the roller tube for storage when not in use. The free edge of the shade normally includes a pull tube or stiffener having a handle that enables the shade to be conveniently extended. The pull tube also includes clips or tabs, typically near its outer edges or rear edge, which engage brackets mounted to the vehicle side walls or rear panel in the cargo area and maintain the shade in its extended position.
Cargo shades are typically mounted so that the roller tube is positioned across one end of the cargo area with the shade being extendible rearward toward the vehicles rear cargo door. The shade is often positioned behind a rear seat back which can be folded down to enlarge the cargo area of the vehicle. With the seat back folded down the cargo shade needs to be removable to prevent it from obstructing and limiting full use of the enlarged cargo area. For this reason, cargo shades preferably offer a mounting system which allows them to be easily removed from and reinstalled in the vehicle. The complexity of conventional cargo shades is derived from the high number of components which must be incorporated into the ends of the security shade to provide for, not only the removable mounting of the security shade system, but also the rotational biasing of the roller tube. Presently, the end caps of the roller shade typically include both a spring bias device for retaining the shade between trim panels of the cargo area, and rotational biasing components to assist in rolling and unrolling the shade. This requires a great number of parts interacting in a relatively small area of the end caps.
In production these numerous components must be individually assembled which is both cumbersome and labor intensive. Efficiencies can be realized by separating the components which function to retain the cargo shade from those that assist in rolling and unrolling the shade. One method of separating the retention and rotational bias features is for the roller shade to have tabs on each end cap which engage some form of clip lock mounted on the trim panels of the cargo area. This type of system requires awkward two handed manipulation by the operator to actuate release levers and lift the shade during removal.